The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many companies to evaluate their software choices. Those who relied upon site-based systems found themselves scrambling to connect employees working from home with the systems they needed to do their jobs. Many lost valuable time and had to spend additional money on IT specialists and new software to do what owners of cloud ERP software were able to do all along—offer business continuity to their customers and employees.
IDG’s State of the Network report states 58% of companies surveyed chose cloud ERP software because of their business continuity concerns. If you’ve been hesitant to shift to cloud ERP, the last several months may have taken you from uncertainty to decision as other businesses with cloud-based technology were able to continue operations during the stay-at-home orders.
5 Business Continuity Benefits of Cloud ERP
Cloud ERP offers many benefits. Some of the critical benefits supporting business continuity include:
- Faster recovery time: If a disaster impacts your facilities, site-based data and software may take days to recover. Cloud ERP systems are backed up offsite so even if your building is compromised by a hurricane, tornado, flood, or other disasters, the data remains untouched. Businesses report being able to restore entire databases within 15 minutes after a critical failure if their data is on the cloud.
- Lower setup costs: Site-based software is expensive to set up. You must purchase the software, of course. You also need considerable computing power and memory to run the network as well as individual laptops or desktops for each employee. Additional personnel are required to monitor, maintain, and secure the system as well as back up the data nightly. With cloud systems, any internet-enabled device easily and instantly connects to the cloud ERP system. You do not need expensive hardware or additional computers to begin using the system.
- Easily connect multiple locations: Many companies find site-based systems have limitations. Data housed within an onsite system must be accessed by people working nearby. Those working in the field, such as technicians or warehouse personnel, cannot access the system as quickly or as easily as they could if you used cloud-based systems. You can easily connect warehouses, field service personnel, sales teams, and others through cloud ERP. Where there’s an internet signal, there’s a way to connect everyone to the same ERP.
- Simple to add additional users: ERP systems can quickly scale up as your company grows. They can also accommodate seasonal workers. It’s simple to add access to the system.
- Better security: Companies who have experienced losses due to cyberattacks can tell you they wished they’d had better systems to provide business continuity. CNBC reports cyberattacks cost small businesses $200,000 annually. If your data is housed onsite, you also need to invest heavily in cybersecurity. Cloud systems offer added security through the system’s provider. There are multiple layers between your data and an attacker to make it safe.
A Nursery Discovered the Benefits of Cloud ERP for Business Continuity
An example often makes it easier to understand the many benefits of cloud ERP. C&O Nursery is a 100-year-old tree nursery in Oregon. Its owners decided to migrate their company’s systems to Acumatica cloud ERP and continue to discover its many business continuity benefits. Nursery workers typically spend their days working among the plants. They are rarely at their desks. Having a system that enabled them to connect through their smartphones via the internet meant more sales for the employees of C & O.
When customers walked with them through the trees and asked, “Do you have XYZ in stock?” they could simply type it into Acumatica and find out quickly if they had the requested plants and where they were in the nursery. Before implementing cloud ERP systems, the salesperson would have to phone the office, wait for someone to answer and look up the data, and then verify it in the field since the data could be a day or more out of sync with the actual sales. It was a cumbersome process. Thanks to cloud ERP, they could now answer the customer’s question quickly. Faster, better service meant additional sales for C&O.
Cloud ERP: Acumatica and Sage 100
Whether you own a nursery and garden center or a factory, having the right cloud ERP system can make a massive difference to your peace of mind. Acumatica and Sage 100 offer many benefits to those who seek software to ensure business continuity.
Emerald TC
Emerald TC provides software and consulting for manufacturing companies. We can help you choose the right accounting software, ERP system, payroll, or other software for your needs. Contact us or call 678-456-6919 for more information.